Servicing of automotive vehicles typically requires periodic replacement of the coolant for the radiator of the vehicle""s engine. Fluid transfer machines such as, for example, illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,782,689; 4,888,980; 5,573,045; 5,615,716; 6,135,136; 6,152,193; 6,161,566; and 6,213,175, are sometimes used to transfer the used coolant to a storage vessel while replacing this used coolant with new coolant. An adapter is sometimes used to provide the necessary connection between coupling members on the ends of hoses from the fluid transfer machine and the radiator. Ideally this adapter, or a set of adapters, is sized to accommodate the different sized inlets and outlets of the radiators typically employed in vehicles made by the major manufacturers.
This invention has several features, no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of this invention as expressed by the claims that follow, its more prominent featured will now be discussed briefly. After considering this discussion, and particularly after reading the section entitled, xe2x80x9cDETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT,xe2x80x9d one will understand how the features of this invention provide its benefits, which include, but are not limited to, convenience of use and applications to a variety of different engines with varying sized radiator conduits, and improved safety.
The first feature of the adapter of this invention is that it has the ability to be connected to different sized outlet or inlet conduits of a radiator for an automotive vehicle. Different makes of automobile vehicles employ radiator conduits having an open ends configured differently. The adapter of this invention is designed to be connected with a number of such differently sized radiator conduits or to the point of connection where the radiator conduit is attached to the radiator.
The second feature is that the adapter of this invention includes a body member having a cavity therein. The body member is made of an insulating material. Consequently, the heat from the radiator does not excessively heat the body member to avoid possible burning of a technician who is using the adapter. The cavity has a cylindrical shaped sidewall of a predetermined diameter and predetermined height, and a substantially flat bottom. An xe2x80x9cOxe2x80x9d ring seated in the sidewall assist in making a fluid tight connection when a conduit is placed in the cavity.
The third feature is a connection member having a first end extending from the body member to be attached to a coupling member and a second end in communication with the cavity. This connection member has a passageway extending from the first end to the second end. The first end is normally closed but opens upon the connection member being attached to the coupling member to allow fluid to flow through the passageway into the cavity.
The fourth feature is that a plurality of tubular insert members are used, but only one is selected based upon the size of the radiator conduit for the vehicle being serviced. The inserts are individually and independently coupled to an end of a radiator conduit that is detached from the point of connection to the radiator or to a end of a replacement conduit that connects an adapter to the point of connection to the radiator. Each insert member has a first end sized to fit snug within the cavity and a second opposed end sized to fit within an open end of one of the conduits, either the detached radiator conduit or the replacement conduit. The size of these first ends of each insert member is substantially identical and the size of the second ends of each insert member is substantially different and configured to fit within only one open end of one of the conduits. Preferably, the first end of each insert member has a substantially cylindrical shaped sidewall with a predetermined diameter and height substantially equal to the predetermined diameter and predetermined height of the cylindrical shaped sidewall of the cavity. Preferably, the first end of each insert member terminates in a substantially flat bottom that abuts the bottom of the cavity upon insertion of the insert member into the cavity. Typically, each tubular insert member has an inside diameter, and this inside diameters of each insert member are of equal diameter. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the first end of each insert member has an annular groove therein with a recess in the groove and the body member has a manually moveable locking pin extending there through with a terminal tip that rides in the groove and fits into the recess upon alignment therewith to lock the insert member to the body member.
This invention also includes a kit used to connect a coolant fluid transfer machine to an automotive engine. The kit includes at least one set of conduits and at least one set of adapters. Each conduit has a different inside diameter, and each conduit each have an open end configured differently than the open ends of the other conduits. Each adapter is constructed as discussed above.
This invention also includes a method of transferring coolant between a fluid transfer machine having a hose terminating in a coupling member and an automotive engine having a pair of radiator conduits, each having an inside diameter, typically both the same. One radiator conduit is connected to an inlet of a radiator for the automotive engine and the other radiator conduit connected to an outlet of said radiator. The method comprises
(a) disconnecting one of the radiator conduits,
(b) substituting for the disconnected radiator conduit a replacement conduit, said replacement conduit having a length that is less than 3 inches, an inside diameter that is substantially the same as the inside diameter of the disconnected radiator conduit, and opposed open ends, with one of the open ends being attached to the radiator inlet or outlet depending on which radiator conduit has been disconnected,
(c) providing an adapter including
a body member having a cavity therein,
a connection member having a first end extending from the body member that is adapted to be attached to the coupling member of the hose and a second end in communication with the cavity,
said connection member having a passageway extending from the first end to the second end, with said first end being normally closed but opening upon the connection member being attached to said coupling member to allow fluid to flow through the passageway and cavity, and
a plurality of tubular insert members, one of said insert members being individually and independently adapted to be coupled to one sized replacement conduit, each insert member having a first end sized to fit snug within the cavity and a second opposed end sized to fit only within an open end of one of a plurality of different sized replacement conduits,
(d) selecting the tubular insert that has a second end that fits within the replacement conduit substituted for the disconnected radiator conduit and inserting said second end of this selected insert into the open end of the replacement conduit, and placing the first end of the selected tubular insert into the cavity, and
(e) connecting the coupling member to the first end of the connection member.
This invention also includes a method of transferring coolant between a fluid transfer machine and a radiator for the automotive engine. The fluid transfer machine has a first hose terminating in a first coupling member and a second hose terminating in a second coupling member and the automotive engine has a pair of radiator conduits extending between the radiator for the automotive engine and the automotive engine. Each radiator conduit has an inside diameter, typically both the same. One radiator conduit has a first end connected to the radiator at a first connection point and a second end connected to the engine and another radiator conduit has a first end connected to the radiator at a second connection point and a second end connected to the engine. The method comprises
(a) disconnecting the first end of one of the radiator conduits from the radiator but leaving the second end of said disconnected radiator conduit connected to the engine,
(b) attaching a replacement conduit to the radiator at the point of connection of the disconnected radiator conduit, said replacement conduit having a length that is less than 3 inches, an inside diameter that is substantially the same as the disconnected radiator conduit, and an open end with an inside diameter substantially the same as the disconnected radiator conduit,
(c) providing first and second adapters, each adapter including
a body member having a cavity therein,
a connection member having a first end extending from the body member that is adapted to be attached to a coupling member of one hose of the fluid transfer machine and a second end in communication with the cavity,
said connection member having a passageway extending from the first end to the second end, with said first end being normally closed but opening upon the connection member being attached to said coupling member to allow fluid to flow through the passageway and cavity, and
a plurality of tubular insert members, one of said insert members being individually and independently adapted to be coupled to one sized replacement conduit, each insert member having a first end sized to fit snug within the cavity and a second opposed end sized to fit only within an open end of one of a plurality of different sized replacement conduits,
(d) connecting the first adapter to the open end of the replacement conduit, including
selecting the tubular insert that has a second end that fits within the replacement conduit attached to the connection point,
inserting said second end of said selected insert into the open end of the replacement conduit,
placing the first end of the selected tubular insert into the cavity of said first adapter, and
connecting the first coupling member to the first end of the connection member of the first adapter, and
(e) connecting the second adapter to the open end of the radiator conduit still connected to the engine, including
selecting the tubular insert that has a second end that fits within the open end of the radiator conduit still connected to the engine,
inserting said second end of said selected insert into the open end of the radiator conduit still connected to the engine,
placing the first end of the selected tubular insert into the cavity of said second adapter, and
connecting the second coupling member to the second end of the connection member of the second adapter.
This invention also includes a method of replacing coolant in a radiator that flows through a radiator conduit to an automotive engine. The radiator conduit has first and second opposed ends. The method comprises
(a) detaching one end of the radiator conduit connected to the radiator and leaving the other end of said the radiator conduit connected to the engine,
(b) attaching one end of a replacement conduit to the radiator to replace the radiator conduit and attaching another end of the replacement conduit to a fluid transfer machine via a first adapter having a removable insert with a predetermined size substantially the same as the disconnected radiator conduit to enable the one end of the replacement conduit to be connected to the radiator, said fluid transfer machine being in communication with a source of new coolant and having a first outlet for used coolant from the radiator and a second outlet for new coolant to be fed to the engine,
(c) connecting the second outlet of the fluid transfer machine to the engine via a second adapter having a removable insert with a predetermined size substantially the same as the disconnected radiator conduit to enable the second adapter to be connected to the engine.